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Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Sometimes
it’s a good idea to look past the supermarket and even the farmers’ market for
recipe inspiration. Take for instance these elderberries. Our local part has a
large plantation of elderberry shrubs and recently I ventured into the wilds
and brought home a backpack full of them.

Research
shows that elderberries blast past most other berries when it comes to
health-hiking antioxidant power. Why? Well, they have a very high skin to flesh
ratio and much of the antioxidants in the berries are found in the outer skin. This
is the same reason why smaller wild blueberries have been shown to contain a
bigger antioxidant wallop than their larger cultivated counterparts.

Elderberries
should be cooked before consuming them. Most often, I just place a bunch in a
pot with some cinnamon and lemon juice and simmer for about 15 minutes. I then
use the resulting syrupy elderberry as a topping for my morning oatmeal. Many people
make jams and jellies with the fruit. But this recipe is proof they are also
awesome in muffins.

No
elderberries? The muffins, which get a little zing from lemon zest, can be
made with blueberries. If following a gluten-free diet, a 1-to-1 gluten-free
flour blend can also be employed.

Divide
batter among 12 standard sized silicon or greased metal muffin cups and bake
for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes
out nearly clean. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes before unmoulding and
then cool further on metal racks.